Fall is a great time to ride a bike but with more rain and wind you need to watch out for the wet leaves, sometimes regarded as the enemies of the bike!

If you remember a few simple tips when you’re out on your bike, you can ride over wet leaves safely.

Here’s what we recommend when you’re out on the road this fall:

1. Avoid biking on leaves altogether if you can. Remember it is perfectly legal, not to mention fair and safe, for you to leave the margins of the road and get out there in the middle if you need to avoid a hazard. When merging out of the bike lane to avoid a hazard you should:
a) look behind you first to make sure you’re not going to cut anyone off, and
b) signal before you merge to tell people in cars and on other bikes where you’re going.

2. Adjust your speed and direction before you hit the leaves. If you have to execute a turn on wet leaves do it very slowly and don’t brake suddenly while you’re turning.